West=On=Track
-News

Green light for Crusheen station

Clare Champion

Iarnród Éireann received planning permission this week for a new station at Crusheen, along the Limerick to Galway line.

The semi-State company had applied for permission for the station last September but a decision was delayed when the council required further information.

That information was submitted last month and on Wednesday, Clare County Council granted conditional permission for the project.

A spokesperson for lobby group West-on-Track has said people in the area look forward to the station’s "speedy construction".

“We feel sure that the people of Crusheen, who have fought so hard for this, will give it their support. It is an important amenity for Crusheen in terms of allowing people to travel to Limerick, Galway and Ennis.

"So we are gratified that it has been granted, even if it has taken as long as it has.Hopefully, it will be constructed quickly and be in operation by 2014," the spokesman said.

Representatives of the local youth club, the book club, Heritage Inchicronan, Clare Roots Society, the board of management of Crusheen National School, the GAA club and the Crusheen Development Association and priests in Crusheen and Tubber had all voiced their support for the station.

Councillor Michael Kelly called on Government TDs to source funding for the building of the station.

"There isn’t much point in Iarnród Éireann preparing a plan unless the funding comes on stream to expedite the project. The viability of Crusheen station was never in question because of its location. It would be far more viable than Ardrahan and Craughwell," he stated.

"There is a 17-mile stretch between Gort and Athenry and there are two stations between them at Ardrahan and Craughwell but there is a 23-mile stretch between Ennis and Gort so depending on the speed and timing of trains, Crusheen should certainly be more viable," Councillor Kelly concluded.